“Home again”
The young maiden’s lips flourished with a soft smile, now a Countess, after staying far away, at the royal court, in order to learn about politics and her neighbouring lands. She breathed deeply filling her senses with the old familiar smell of the beach, with the calm music of the sea weaves mixing with the river crossing the city, the humid and fresh morning breeze and looking with admiration the fog that covered the city every morning at this time of the year.
The sun showed up, far beyond the horizon, announcing as always a new day. Son the vision she was waiting for came, a vision she always loved and she always missed when she was far:
The first lights of the sun caressed the roofs of the city, shining like red gold thanks to the polished copper covering them. They shined trespassing the fog, a jewel between mists. Slowly, the heat dissipated the fog and she could see the walls of the city, the streets and the buildings, white as pure snow, untainted. During the next few minutes, and as it happened only few days per year, the vision of shining gold, snowy white and grey fog took her breath while the ship entered the port. The sailors looked at her, standing in front and with her blond hair shining like the city roofs.
Meridia seemed a magical city from one of the fairy tales she used to read when she was a child.
Moments later, the sun rising in the sky and kissing the fertile plains of the county, life came to the city. The everyday activities filled the streets and the mysticism of the city faded, not the magic though, just changed. She always though every mann and womann had an story and was amazed by that, by the fact all these stories shared the world at the same time.
The port opened to the city, the main street, wide as no one else in Meridia, decorated with trees, led to the upper city and to her family home, a grand villa of sober architecture despite the statues flanking it’s outer door and the well-cared garden where flowers of many colours grew. Few white and majestic trees known as “angelica’s tears”, a gift from an ancient follower of the Qin to her ancestors, excelled. These trees where part since then of a particular ritual in her family: Every time a new Count or Countess sweared to serve the people, taking the seat, a new white seed was planted there, in a sign of prosperity. Her time to do so was near,
Around the villa and the square, the more prominent buildings of the city where build: The church of the virtue, few guild seats like the Lodge, the adventurers guild and the university.
The young Countess started to laugh, a laugh of pure and simple hapiness. A contagious happiness to anyone who could hear it. Many meridian approached her bowing a little showing respect or cominn just to hail her..
Once at home, after a relaxing bath, she went to the balcony and observed the populous city. Tons of work will drive her attention away of that beautiful sight and she wanted to spend few seconds to admire it.
She smiled again.
“Home again”
